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Send to KindleLuster straightens out freshness problems
Built-in crush resistance
"We took advantage of the opportunity to create a new container to fit our carton" says Avant. From a single 8-oz PP jar Luster Products moved to two containers-a 16-oz cup made of high-density polyethylene and a custom-designed 18-oz PP cup-to better fit the different shaped cartons. Both taller and slightly wider than the previous jar the new cups eliminate the problem of the kits getting crushed during shipping-and eliminate the need for paperboard rings.
Secondly the new cups function as a mixing recep-tacle: though capable of holding twice as much only 7.5 or 8 oz of product is necessary per kit. The oversized cup allows the product to be easily mixed. A horizontal line printed on the back of the cup indicates the half-point mark for applications where half the quantity is desired. The company also took the opportunity to switch printing methods-from an expensive screen process printed in one color to offset printing in a single color that coordinates with the lidding film. Because the lidding film now provides the seal Luster Products switched from a PP screw-on cap to a linear low-density polyethylene snap-top lid also from Northwestern Bottle. "The new lid is about 75% less expensive than the original cap" says Avant.
The new containers have been significantly lightweighted-from a 38-g jar and 16-g lid to 21.4-g and 21.8-g cups and a 5.8-g lid. According to Northwestern Bottle these figures meet current source reduction requirements mandated in California. In addition the cup's tapered shape permits nesting. Thus the new cups occupy two-thirds less warehouse space than before.
Avant estimates that lightweighting and nestability combined with a shorter shipping distance reduces freight costs of incoming cups by two-thirds.
At the filling line
Shipping costs and warehouse space aren't the only benefits that Luster Products has seen: the company's switch from two paste fillers and a capping machine to two BWI Fords Holmatic (Norcross GA) PR2 machines has tripled output.
Normally used to fill food products like yogurt these machines denest fill seal and cap the cups. After denesting cups are filled to designated weights. Lidding film which comes in roll form is die-cut and heat-sealed to the cup. Caps are then applied automatically and the cups are loaded manually into in-process containers to await later packing into the kits.
"We're capable of producing 100 cups/min-that's 30 cups a shift" says Avant. "It used to take us two to three shifts to do that kind of volume. Now we can do it in one."
The new cup was introduced in January and packed in existing paperboard cartons provided by several suppliers. New cartons which incorporate graphic changes to reflect the new container were in the works at press time. "It's doing well" says Avant "and the new package has created tremendous cost savings."
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